Resources

While the digital age has resulted in shifting conceptualizations of time and work-life boundaries that can (at their worst) lead to troubling ramifications for personal wellness, it has simultaneously generated hitherto unknown, yet useful, self-help remedies in the forms of apps, visual documentaries and podcasts. On this page you will find a wealth of wellness-related resources to help you gain knowledge and avoid professional burnout. (And, yes, we’re including ‘real’ books in the lineup too!)

The exercises use a combination of soothing sounds and guided breathing to heThe Address Stress relaxation exercises use a combination of soothing sounds and guided breathing to help settle your body and calm your mind.

Learn to avoid anxiety and improve relaxation after listening daily for just 1–3 weeks. Change your mindset through subconscious thoughts to reduce anxious thoughts. Prevent anxiety from interfering with your work, sleep, and life.

Thich Nhat Hanh gives tools and advice for transforming relationships, focusing energy, and rejuvenating those parts of ourselves that have been laid waste by anger. His wisdom is based on the idea that anger and resentment reside in the body, and that calming yourself—through meditation and breathing exercises—can help open the door to forgiveness.

Psychologist and forgiveness researcher Frederic Luskin presents the science and health benefits of absolving others in Forgive for Good. Drawing on case studies and tested forgiveness methods, he explores resentment and forgiveness as psychological and bodily phenomena that can affect overall health.

In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea.

Daniel Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. He reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there. Gilbert explains why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become.

We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.

If you ask him if he’s happy, even though he’s suffered the loss of his country, the Dalai Lama will give you an unconditional yes. What’s more, he’ll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that the very motion of our life is toward happiness. How to get there has always been the question. He’s tried to answer it before, but he’s never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand.

In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements—fire, water, air, and earth—to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer.

On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they’re made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious. The book remains unmatched in the accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness of its explanations, and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.

In lively, personal chapters on produce, dairy, meat, fish, chocolate, and other real foods, Nina explains how ancient foods like beef and butter have been falsely accused, while industrial foods like corn syrup and soybean oil have created a triple epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The New York Times said that Real Food “poses a convincing alternative to the prevailing dietary guidelines, even those treated as gospel.”

In this groundbreaking book, one of America’s most fascinating, original, and elegant writers turns his own omnivorous mind to the seemingly straightforward question of what we should have for dinner. To find out, Pollan follows each of the food chains that sustain us—industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves—from the source to a final meal, and in the process develops a definitive account of the American way of eating.

Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart, offers one of the most effective approaches to calming a self-critical mind: the ancient Buddhist practice of using “Compassion Slogans.” Combining thought-awareness, loving-kindness practice and mindfulness meditation, this simple, time-tested method can be used throughout the day to quiet your critical voices and ease the mind.

In Cure, Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients and researchers to learn about a new world of medicine; how meditation protects against depression and dementia, how social connections increase life expectancy, how a virtual arctic world treats burns and children whose ADHD is kept under control with half the normal dose of medication, and how a transplant patient uses the smell of lavender to calm his hostile immune system, etc.

In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness–being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness.

At the age of 36, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. The memoir finds hope and beauty in the face of insurmountable odds as an idealistic young neurosurgeon attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living?

The secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. Thich Nhat Hanh acknowledges that because suffering can feel so bad, we try to run away from it or cover it up by consuming. But unless we’re able to face our suffering, we can’t be present and available to life, and happiness will continue to elude us.

Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. Watch now

This film captures the work and life of Cai Guo-Qiang, whose frequent use of gunpowder serves as both an ancestral homage and an acknowledgement of humanity’s fleeting nature. Creating ambitious signature pieces on the largest imaginable scales, Cai’s electrifying work often transcends physical permanence all while burning its philosophies into the audience’s mind forever. Watch now

Alice Herz-Sommer, aged 109 and the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor, tells the story of how music saved her life: both during her time at Theresienstadt concentration camp and in the years afterwards. Watch now

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.

Happy takes viewers on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real-life stories and scientific interviews, the film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.

Deep in the wilderness, far away from civilization, 300 people inhabit the small village of Bakhtia at the river Yenisei. There are only two ways to reach this outpost: by helicopter or boat. There’s no telephone, running water or medical aid, The locals, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, live according to their own values and cultural traditions.

This feature documentary explores the life and teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and his quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path.

Yogananda made ancient teachings accessible to a modern audience, attracting many followers and ultimately helping millions of seekers today to turn their attention inwards, bucking the temptations of the material world in pursuit of self-realization.

A zen journey across Japan to discover the true nature of zen in the monasteries and zen centers that have until now remained closed to the outside. Experience the daily life of a zen monk inside the monastery and the practice of zazen or seated meditation where each day the monks follow a path to enlightenment.

This documentary follows the efforts of neuroscientist Richard Davidson as he prescribes yoga and meditation in an attempt to ease the suffering of two war veterans with PTSD and a child with anxiety and ADHD.

The serially overworked already know that stress is a near-constant fixture in modern-day living. But to what degree is stress affecting our bodies — and is there any way to healthfully combat it? With a focus on the work of Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky, this National Geographic program looks at the latest science to see what researchers are learning about this insidiously silent killer.

What does it mean to be courageous? Is it an automatic response or a conscious choice? This hour, TED speakers examine the nature of courage and what it takes to risk everything to do the right thing. Listen now

Compassion is a universal virtue, but is it innate or taught? Have we lost touch with it? Can we be better at it? In this hour, TED speakers explore compassion: its roots, its meaning and its future. Listen now

Some of our most powerful feelings — stress, depression, despair — are the hardest to understand. This hour, TED speakers challenge assumptions about emotion, disquiet and the essence of well-being. Listen now

Meditations to help you to relax deeply, be more present and flow more easily with life. We offer a variety of guided meditations with and without music, as well as instructions for meditations you can do on your own. We wish you a peaceful mind and open heart.

In this weekly YOGA PODCAST, join Lucas Rockwood as he deep dives into all things yoga, health, and wellness. Each shows features a thought leaders in alternative health, nutritional tips as well as answers to listeners questions. Past guests include Dave Asprey, Kelly Starrett & JJ Virgin.